Teams Draw Record Crowds To See Games

Interest in spring training is peaking in Palm Beach County, and the Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos have been drawing record crowds to prove it.

``Just about every game has had a capacity crowd,`` said Randy Carillo, manager of Municipal Stadium in West Palm Beach.

``A lot of people either came down from up North earlier or are staying longer because it`s really kicked up the volume of revenues,`` Carillo said.

With five home games remaining for the Braves and four for the Expos, revenue counts are not yet available. But Carillo said he was confident the stadium`s income would exceed the estimated $187,500 for this fiscal year.

That includes ticket and concession sales, as well as money generated by concession stands at the stadium throughout the year.

With the sale of standing-room tickets, the stadium can hold about 5,500. More games have been coming close to that figure than ever before, Carillo said.

``We`re all sold out,`` Peter Skorput, Braves spring training coordinator, said of the five remaining games that culminate April 3 with the Baltimore Orioles.

``All we have left is general admission on the day of the game, (on sale) two hours before the game,`` he said.

By season`s end, the Braves will have sold out nine of 14 games, compared with three sellouts last year.

The Expos still have reserved seats left for games Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles).

However, not only has the final game April 4 against the New York Mets been sold out, but also the game is expected to break a Municipal Stadium attendance record with about 7,000 people, Carillo said. Additional bleachers and standing room areas will be made available.

The current attendance record was established 12 years ago, when a Braves game against the Cincinnati Reds drew 6,838 people, according to stadium officials.